


Canvas

by tigerlady (shetiger)



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: First Kiss, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-01-07
Updated: 2010-01-07
Packaged: 2017-10-14 12:44:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/149355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shetiger/pseuds/tigerlady
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Radek has more testing to do, now that they're on a new planet. Lorne goes with him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Canvas

The sun was well into its downward run, altitude declaring it several hours past noon, when Radek finally looked up from his work. The machines had been calibrated individually at each of the testing sites, but it had taken him some time to get them coordinated. He wanted to make sure the data he recorded on this planet could be easily compared to that he'd gathered on their former home.

He put his finger on the enter key--and paused, struck by a thought.

"I am about to begin the tests," he called over his shoulder. "I don't want to startle you mid-stroke."

"Thanks, but I'm fine," Evan called back. "I'm a little harder to scare than wild game."

Radek snorted. Ronon's complaints about his wasted hunting trip had lessened in the past few months, but a good contingent of Atlantis had been privy to them. Which was why he was glad Evan had been the one to accompany him this time. He hit the enter button, then turned around.

And swallowed. He was, perhaps, glad that Evan had accompanied him for more reasons than the lack of Ronon's complaining. Evan was facing him, more or less, his easel in front of him. He'd taken off his tac vest and jacket, although his gun was still strapped to his thigh, and he made a striking sight in his tight black T-shirt.

"You sure picked a beautiful spot for this, Radek."

"Hmm?" Radek tore his eyes away from Evan and took a look around, realizing he'd been too wrapped up in his work to take in the scenic view earlier. They--or rather Evan--had parked the jumper in a gently sloping meadow that stretched from the roots of the distant mountains on one side to a dense evergreen forest beyond their camp. The meadow had obviously been a glacial field at one point, bowl-shaped and strewn with moraine, but Radek was more taken by the beauty of the small yellow flowers that poked their heads high about the pale green grass. "Oh, oh yes. I suppose it is a perfect painter's haven, isn't it?"

"It really is." Evan was smiling down at his work, so Radek stepped closer, curious. He'd opened the crate with all of Evan's supplies by accident when they'd been unpacking, but Evan hadn't seemed uncomfortable with sharing his hobby. But now he shifted so that his body was blocking the canvas. "I just started. You won't be able to tell anything yet."

"Oh, of course." Radek looked down, trying to hide his disappointment--and that was when he saw it. Large and black, intricate, partially hidden by the sleeve of his T-shirt. "You have a tattoo!"

Evan laughed. "Yeah, I do. Got it right before I came to Atlantis."

"I've never noticed it before." Radek pushed his glasses up, trying to make sense of the lines that writhed across the muscles underneath. "It reminds me of that one artist, what is his name? Geiger? The one who designed the Aliens."

"HR Giger," Evan said. "Yeah, I can see that. I think there's a lot of tribal influence in it, too."

"You didn't design it?"

Evan shook his head. "Nah, this style's pretty much beyond me. A good friend of mine from back home did. He does amazing stuff. Kind of reminds me of you."

Radek looked up, surprised by the compliment. "Why, does he have uncontrollable hair and an amusing accent, too?"

Evan shook his head, still smiling at him. "You're a funny guy, Doc. No, I meant he's got the same passion for his work that you do. The same brilliance."

"Oh, well, thank you." Radek looked back down at Evan's arm, unsure of what to say. He started to reach out, wanting to trace the ink with his fingers, but then he stopped, realizing how inappropriate that was. He cleared his throat. "I should get back to work. And let you finish your painting."

"I'll let you see it later," Evan said. "I just don't like to jinx myself, you know?"

"No, I understand." Radek hesitated, then patted Evan on the shoulder, just above the tattoo. "I look forward to seeing it."

Then he made himself return to his work, trying not to wonder whether ink-covered skin would feel different than the rest.

*****

Radek resettled the pack he was using as a pillow, shifting it so it wouldn't cause a numb spot on the back of his head as he stared up at the night sky. If the move also resulted in bringing his shoulder into contact with Evan's, well, it was not intentional. Not consciously so.

"I don't remember the last time I got to do this," Evan said. "I used to love watching the stars as a kid, trying to pick out the constellations."

"I spent a lot of time watching the sky as well. But mostly during the day."

"Not a lot of stars to see during the day, Radek."

"That is not strictly true," Radek said, pushing his glasses further up his nose. "They are still there, of course. But I meant that I watched for my pigeons. When I raced them."

"Racing pigeons? That's not a hobby you hear about everyday."

Radek snuck a look at Evan, but he wasn't sneering. No, he was simply looking up at the pollution-free sky, a relaxed smile on his face. "It is not so uncommon where I came from," Radek told him softly.

"You miss it?"

Radek shrugged. His shoulder bumped into Evan's again, but he ignored the thrill that shot through him at that small touch. "I miss my pigeons. I have more excitement in my life these days than I can take, so the racing, not as much. But yes, I miss taking care of my birds."

Evan rolled towards him, propping his head on his hand. "You should keep some on Atlantis. Maybe there's a native species you could train or something."

Radek shook his head. "No, it would be impossible. And even if I had the time to try, what happens to them during the next crisis we have? What if Atlantis decides they are a foreign plague to be sterilized? No, it is better this way."

"I'm sorry."

Radek shrugged again, but this time his entire upper arm made contact with the underside of Evan's. "It is only a small thing. But tell me about your art. Have you been painting long?"

"My mom taught me. I kind of got away for it for a long time, until I met that friend I was telling you about." Evan sighed, then rolled onto his back again. Further away from Radek. "But I really didn't start painting regularly again until Atlantis. It's so amazing, I just have to paint it."

Radek nodded. "I would not trade Atlantis for my pigeons."

They fell silent then, still staring upwards. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence, but Radek longed for their conversation to continue. He just wasn't sure what to say. Evan followed him well enough when he talked about his work, better than most who weren't in the field, but work was too impersonal. Too remote for a night like this, with the stars above and the jumper shielding them behind, and the embers of their campfire warm beyond their feet.

"Your friend," he said, latching onto something as soon as it occurred to him. "The one you said I remind you of. You still keep in contact with him?"

Evan shook his head. "Nah, we kind of had a falling out. First leave after being stationed here."

"I'm sorry."

Evan shrugged. "It happens. Some people don't like not knowing what's going on with people they care about."

"Imagine that," Radek said, but his sarcasm was weakened by the other thoughts racing through his head. Evan surely hadn't meant 'friend' and 'care' in that way. Surely not, but he couldn't help but hope.

"Hey." Evan rolled to his feet. One quick move, just like that, from the ground to his feet. Radek stared up, so surprised he almost didn't realize Evan was holding out his hand. "You want to see the painting?"

"Absolutely." Radek took Evan's hand, and this time he let himself enjoy the rush as he was tugged to his feet. Especially when Evan didn't let go immediately.

"It's not the best light for a viewing," Evan said, before leading him into the bay of the jumper. "I would have shown you earlier, but--"

"But I was engrossed in my work." Radek waited as Evan adjusted the lighting, not to the brightest setting but somewhere close. He had noticed the canvas in the back earlier, when he was fetching the MREs for dinner, but he'd made himself not peek.

"It's not finished," Evan said. So endearingly shy about his work. "But I think you can get a good enough idea of how it'll turn out." And then he stepped out of the way, revealing the painting.

"Oh, my. It's--" Radek stopped. He'd been about to say _beautiful_ , but he could not make himself say that about his own face. But the way Evan had painted him, head bent over his tablet, gaze intent on his work, _was_ beautiful. The contrast between the natural beauty of the forest in the distance and the stark lines of the jumper made him stand out even more. Almost as if he were a link between the two. "I am amazed."

"Really?" Evan ducked his head, but the gesture couldn't hide the wide, pleased grin on his face. "I'm not as good with people, which is why I usually do landscapes. But you were irresistible."

Radek could only stare. Not at the painting, but at Evan. "I am irresistible?"

Evan actually blushed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable..."

"No, no!" Radek laid his hand on Evan's upper arm. Where his tattoo was, although it was covered again by his jacket. "Please, no. I like being irresistible."

"Oh." Evan's grin was slower this time, but just as wide. "Well, that's good. Very good."

They leaned in at the same time, and yes, it was very good, indeed.

END


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